6 Responses

So many of our Torah sages have delineated the obligation to vote. What is sad is how many of my neighbors are not even registered to vote.

With a very important presidential election coming up, I have to ask, how the words of our great Rabbanim be emphasized and put into action so that we can get our young people not only registered to vote, but actually get them to the polls?

I guess you have to start by getting young people to register to vote. Would Yeshivas be open to a community members helping bochurim register to vote? I just find it sad that so many people I know are unregistered to vote.

(Note: I don’t know how many of my neighbors are actually registered vs. not registered. But, I always find myself at a complete disconnect when many of them express surprise in our interest in the election and then tell me they don’t vote. . . and aren’t even registered. I find it very sad that so many learned people are just so apathetic to their rights as citizens of this great country).

Wouldn’t voting only be virtuous if you take the time to understand the major issues and decide which choice is better? The quality of the government is not related to the number of voters, but to the percentage of voters who make the right choices.

In 1984 the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York was conducting a voter registration campaign. Rav Feinstein was approached and replied enthusiastically. He always voted, even in public school board elections. I am honored to have the original letter in my files.